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Who's Who - Frederick McCall

Frederick Robert Gordon
McCall (1896-1949) scored 35 confirmed victories as a Canadian
air ace
during 1918.

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Born on 4 December 1896 in
Vernon, British Columbia, McCall enlisted with the 175th Overseas Battalion
attached to the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) in February 1916.
Some ten months later McCall was in England as a Sergeant with the
battalion.

With his evident desire to
participate in the aerial conflict McCall received a commission as a
Lieutenant pilot trainee the following March. Much of the rest of 1917
was spent in pilot's training: consequently it wasn't until December that he
was assigned to 13 Squadron on the Western Front. His initial duties
saw him fly lumbering two-seater R.E.7 aircraft on
reconnaissance missions along with fellow airman F.C. Farrington.

In spite of being assigned
reconnaissance duties McCall nevertheless scored his first aerial victory
while flying the R.E.8, shooting down an enemy German aircraft intent upon
downing McCall. Within two months McCall was awarded the
Military
Cross "for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty" - or, more
specifically, for destroying an attacking enemy aircraft while observing
artillery fire.

Within two weeks of winning
the Military Cross he awarded an accompanying Bar, this time for downing an
enemy scout aircraft while engaged on photographic work.

McCall was next transferred
to 41 Squadron and given a single-seater S.E.5a aircraft. Four 'kills'
in May 1918 resulted in the award of a
Distinguished Flying Cross.
Promoted to Captain McCall remarkably downed five German aircraft in a
single day, 30 June - four in the morning and another in the evening.
Only two days earlier he had brought down a further four enemy aircraft.
By now his tally of confirmed victories ran to 20 aircraft. For his
success on 30 June McCall was awarded the
Distinguished Service Order.

On 17 August, while out
flying with William
Claxton and another airman, McCall ran into some 40-60 German aircraft.
While McCall managed to escape back to Allied lines Claxton was forced to
land in enemy territory and was taken prisoner.

Suffering from illness
McCall was sent to recuperate initially in England and then back home in
Canada. The
armistice
was announced while he was in Canada. His overall tally of confirmed
victories had reached 35, with a probable further two unconfirmed victories.

Following the armistice
McCall embarked upon a variety of civil aviation ventures, ranging from
stunt flying to management of his own company, McCall Aero Corporation
Limited (formed in 1920). With this company McCall flew commercial
freight and passengers across Canada. McCall also worked to encourage
the formation of Canadian flying clubs in the inter-war years.

With the arrival of the
Second World War McCall was recalled to service with the Royal Canadian Air
Force as a Squadron Leader, based at numerous western Canadian bases.

McCall died on 2 January
1949 in Calgary. He was aged 52.

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Saturday, 22 August, 2009Michael Duffy

One in five of the Australians and New Zealanders who left their country to fight in the war never returned; 80,000 in total.